New Jersey on Saturday.

Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has been hired as the New York Giants head coach.

The Giants announced the hiring late Monday afternoon [url=http://www.milwaukeebrewersteamshop.com/authentic-josh-hader-jersey]Josh Hader Milwaukee Brewers Jersey[/url] , less than 24 hours after Shurmur and the Vikings were beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game.

The 52-year-old Shurmur replaces Ben McAdoo, who was fired in early December with the team mired with a 2-10 record and owners and fans upset with his handling of the benching of two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo took over for the final four games and posted a 1-3 record.

”He has an outstanding track record in developing young players, and it is clear his players respond to his guidance and direction,” co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said in a statement.

”We interviewed six talented and qualified candidates, and we feel like Pat, with his vision and experience, is the right person to lead our team.”

The Giants won’t officially introduce Shurmur until Friday. A winter storm in the Midwest is preventing him from coming to New Jersey on Tuesday and he will be at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama [url=http://www.steelersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-chukwuma-okorafor-jersey]http://www.steelersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-chukwuma-okorafor-jersey[/url] , from Tuesday night through Thursday.

Shurmur returns to the head coaching ranks for the first time since leading the Cleveland Browns in 2011-12. He takes over a troubled team that posted a 3-13 record a year after making the playoffs.

Shurmur was interviewed on Jan. 6 by Mara, new general manager Dave Gettleman and assistant GM Kevin Abrams.

Following that meeting in Minneapolis, Shurmur had an hour-long phone conversation with Tisch.

”I can’t wait to start working with Pat,” said Gettleman. ”I know he will provide the type of leadership we need to take our team back to where it belongs. I have followed Pat’s career for many years, and he has had great success wherever he has been.

”What struck me during our conversation is that being the head coach of the New York Giants is not too big for him. He is made for this moment and this opportunity.”

The Giants interviewed five other candidates, kicking it off with Spagnuolo three days after the season ended.

New York also spoke with New England coordinators Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and recently fired Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville, who has since been hired as a running backs coach by the Dolphins. Wilks was hired as the head coach in Arizona on Monday

Shurmur has earned a reputation as a quarterback whisperer. NFC title game opponents Nick Foles of the Eagles and Case Keenum of the Vikings were tutored by him.

With the Giants [url=http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-mason-cole-jersey]http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-mason-cole-jersey[/url] , Shurmur will get to work with Manning and possibly the No. 2 pick in the draft, if New York uses the pick to pick an heir apparent.

But the Giants also had problems in the locker room. Three defensive backs – Janoris Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Eli Apple were suspended for a game for conduct detrimental to the team.

Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen said Shurmur constantly put players in position to contribute and he doesn’t take anything for granted.

”He’s not a stubborn guy. He’s going to throw stuff out if it’s not working, and he’s going to find things that guys are good at,” Thielen said Monday as the Vikings cleaned out their lockers.

”So I think as a head coach, he’s going to do that on both sides of the ball. Special teams, he’s going to find guys who can make plays and let them do what they do. So I think he’s going to have a lot of success as a head coach.”

Shurmur has been a part of teams that have qualified for the playoffs nine times and won seven division titles. He was Philadelphia’s quarterbacks coach when the Eagles played in the Super Bowl against New England in the 2004 season.

Shurmur is finishing his second year with the Vikings. He began last season as the tight ends coach and for the final nine games was also the offensive coordinator, the title he retained this season.

The Vikings finished 10th in the NFL in scoring (23.9 points) [url=http://www.authenticsbuffalobills.com/cheap-josh-allen-jersey]Cheap Josh Allen Jersey[/url] , 11th in total yardage (356.9), and seventh in rushing yardage (122.3) this season.

Shurmur posted a 9-23 record in his two seasons with the Browns, going there after a two-year stint as the offensive coordinator with the Rams. He spent three seasons as the Eagles offensive coordinator after being fired.

Shurmur’s NFL coaching career began with a 10-year run (1999-2008) in Philadelphia. He coached in college at Stanford and Michigan State.

Holtby made 34 saves and Nicklas Backstrom started a three-goal second period as the surging Capitals beat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 Monday night.

Alex Ovechkin got his league-leading 46th goal, and Alex Chiasson and Andre Burakovsky also scored to help the Capitals get their seventh win in eight games, and 11th in the last 13.

Holtby, who has been sharing the goaltending duties with Philipp Grubauer the past six weeks, won for the fourth time in his last five starts and improved to 7-0-0 in seven career starts against St. Louis.

Grubauer made 36 stops in a 3-1 win at Pittsburgh on Sunday that clinched the Capitals’ third straight Metropolitan Division title. Holby turned in a similarly strong effort 24 hours later.

”Both goalies are playing really well,” said coach Barry Trotz [url=http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-shaquem-griffin-jersey]http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-shaquem-griffin-jersey[/url] , who has not named a starter for the playoffs that begin next week. ”They’re pushing each other. They’ve responded every night.”

Holtby is not worried about the future. He simply focuses on the task at hand each night.

”I’ve always been a big believer in leaving those decisions to other people and focus on your job and your job only,” Holtby said. ”And that’s stopping pucks and helping this team win.”

Holtby improved to 33-16-4 on the season, while Grubauer is 15-9-3

Chiasson feels his team is in a no-lose situation entering postseason play with two solid goalies.

”Those two have been the backbone of this team all year,” Chiasson said. ”Whenever one was not playing as well as he wanted, the other was picking up the charge.”

Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrik Berglund scored for the Blues, who lost their second straight and remained one point behind Colorado for the second and final wild card in the Western Conference. The Avalanche lost 3-1 at Los Angeles later.

”There’s not a single part of me that doesn’t believe that we’re going to get there,” St. Louis coach Mike Yeo said.

Blues defenseman Colton Parayko realizes his team has its back to the wall.

”We know we’re basically in a win-out situation,” Parayko said. ”We also know what we’ve got to do to win. We’ve done it the last couple of weeks.”

Jake Allen finished with 30 saves.

Backstrom [url=http://www.authenticstennesseetitans.com/cheap-luke-falk-jersey]Luke Falk Color Rush Jersey[/url] , Chiasson and Burakovsky scored in the first 7:54 of the second period to give the Capitals a 3-1 lead.

Backstrom tied it 1-1 by firing a shot past goalie Jake Allen from close range just 51 seconds into the period, giving him 20 goals in three straight seasons.

”We came off a huge win Sunday and got a lot of confidence with that,” Backstrom said. ”And we just kept going.”

Chiasson put Washington ahead with his ninth at 2:39, and Burakovsky gave the Capitals a two-goal lead with his 11th a little more than five minutes later.

”Obviously we’re not taking our foot off the gas,” Burakovsky said. ”We’re battling just as hard for every game and every point.”

Berglund pulled St. Louis within one with 8 1/2 minutes left in the second, but Ovechkin scored into an empty net with 1:31 left in the third.

NOTES: Ovechkin played in his 1,001st NHL game. … The Capitals have won six of their last nine games in back-to-back situations. … St. Louis RW Scottie Upshall is out the rest of the season with a lacerated kidney. … G Allen has started the Blues’ last 13 games. … Washington RW T.J. Oshie was held out of the contest as a precautionary measure. He is nursing a lower body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

UP NEXT

Capitals: Close the regular season with back-to-back home games against Nashville on Thursday and New Jersey on Saturday.

Blues: Host Chicago on Wednesday before closing with two road games.
[img]http://www.sndpic.com//nike_nfl_jerseys/nike_cincinnati_bengals/nike_bengals_2907.jpg[/img]
.